Packaging apparatus includes a weigher that delivers discreet batches of product to a chute extending to a former. The former receives stripped bag material and forms the bag material into a tubular configuration. The product is delivered to the interior of the tubular bag material, with the tube bag material being subsequently longitudinally and transversely sealed and cut to form discreet packages.
The surfaces over which the product passes between the weigher and former include the internal surfaces of the weigher buckets, a weigher chute and a further chute extending between the lower end of the weigher chute and the former.
In the operation of the above-discussed weighing and packaging apparatus, product “dumped” from the weighing buckets falls past the weigher chute and then past the next chute. Both these chutes converge downwardly so that should the product have any angular velocity when it exits the bucket or subsequently gains angular velocity (about the longitudinal axis of the chutes), that angular velocity will increase due to the converging sides of those chutes. Any product that has an angular velocity will have an increased travel time with respect to reaching the former. This angular velocity may also result in product damage due to impact with either the chutes and/or adjacent product.